Chanakya (1990– ) User Reviews (44)

A painstaking work of sheer genius and passion

[[e-mail] · 10/10 · 25 August 2005]

India is a country of a billion people and I am surprised only 1 person before me has felt compelled to write about this work of sheer genius.

If I was in India, I would seek out all the makers of this tremendous effort and personally thank them for letting me know that there was one man in India such as Chanakya. He was the first true patriot that India produced - a patriot who unified India even as he was making seminal contributions to the fields of Political Science and Economics in the earliest stages of development of these sciences. No other professor has ever held a political sway over any country leading both to its creation and a stable government - in the history of civilization.

But that is not all. The script is truly awesome. The characters of Chanakya and the others have been portrayed with remarkable depth and consistency to make them truly believable and they arouse the viewer's empathy. 48 hours of viewing is not for today's world of fleeting attention spans - but for those who are willing to put in the effort and time, the satisfaction is tremendous. It is not entertainment material like pop corn accompaniment - to be shrugged off and confined to the dustbin of memory - after a couple of hours of viewing. For the history buff, it tantalizes you enough to want to devote 4-5 hours every day for 2 whole unrelenting weeks, without hesitation. I have already done that twice over a span of 4 years. I am sure I would want to watch the entire series again after my college going boys can muster the patience and interest to do likewise to understand their Indian heritage.

My only complaint is that the names of the actors and the roles they play are curiously difficult to find. I am still trying. The web search engines provided no answers and the DVD's I have do not make the job of finding these easy either. Even the janitors who helped the filming crew seem to get more prominent billing than the cast. After all the 90+ hours of viewing, I still can't figure out the name of the genius who plays Chanakya - who figures in almost 50% of all the frames!

Excellent, most well-researched Indian tele-serial to date.

[chanakya69 · 10/10 · 21 September 2006]

Chanakya (written/directed, and played by Dr.Chandraprakash Dwivedi) is a class of its own. Though the tele-serial did not do well when telecast on Doordarshan (the Indian national television), the amount of research that went into producing the serial, the historical accuracy, and the care taken in costume every aspect of production is remarkable.

The background music is played only by instrument that were prevalent in 3rd century BC. You will also notice that the Indian horsemen will ride without saddles (which was not introduced to India before Alexander's visit to Takshasila.) The swords and shields used was also a replica of those from the Mauryan times. The most commendable aspect being the setting itself. Dr.Chandraprakash Dwivedi spent over 1 crore (10 million) rupees back in those days, for reconstructing a replica village/city of the Mauryan times. Though the city is not 100% a replica of 3rd Century Pataliputra or Takshasila, it is remarkably planned and structured as per the definitions given in Chanakya's book - the Arthashastra.

Chanakya Kautilya has been my role model since I was 7 years old. This is a man who's very thoughts will send shivers down your spine, and his insights will help you in every aspect of life - be it business, politics, or domestic affairs.

I own the eight part DVD of "Chanakya" tele-serial and have seen it over and over in the past three years. Once I play the first episode, I know for sure that I am incapable of watching anything else till we finish the entire set.

This serial is recommended for history buffs, students of politics, and common folks like me who love Chanakya.

Jai Maa Bharati

[abladabla · 9/10 · 2 February 2004]

It is not a fiction or a drama but depicts the establishment of the Maurya dynasty in India. One man, who had faced very tough circumstances not only in his childhood but also in his life made history by uniting the different independent states sharing the same culture and background into one country, India and threw the kings out who did not deserve to rule. His patriotism for his motherland was beyond any appreciation. It inspires one to preserve that culture and always uphold the needs of the country over your own needs and desires. I have watched it twice, but even when I watched it the second time, it didn't inspire me less than it did the first time. It teaches many good things and the best thing I like is the theme that if you are following the truth and have faith in your beliefs, no matter how many obstacles or hurdles you face, don't give up and you will win one day.

I would give it a 9/10 (just because at some places it has been prolonged unnecessarily, dances etc. were not that needed).

Best ever Political, Knowledgeable, Historic in true self series

[amitishu · 10/10 · 12 June 2017]

never saw a series like this before. You cant see a series like this before. A pure historic projection , without any fiction or a filler , no Dramatic effects. !! just perfect! After Watching Mahabharta This is the one I like the Most!So all of you 21th centuries people have a look on this awesome seires !

EXCELLENT: would give it a 100 stars.

[songokuabhi · 10/10 · 29 October 2010]

Chanakya is a 47-part Indian television historical drama written and directed by Dr. Chandraprakash Dwivedi and is based on events occurring between 340 BCE and 321/20 BCE, starting with Vishnugupta's(moniker of Chanakya) boyhood and culminating in the coronation of Chandragupta Maurya. Chandraprakash Dwivedi played the title role of Chanakya.

So the director features as an actor himself and to top it all, the protagonist of all characters. Kudos to him, who was supposed to only be a part of the scripting but had to direct it after a fallout with the to-be director. Thank God for that, else CHANAKYA would have been something and someone else.

The actors are apt, their acting perfect, not over-the-top as is the case with much other tele-serials of that era.The scripting and dialogues are perfect, as would have been in that ancient period, so is the background score, replete with shlokas and excerpts from the VEDAS and UPANISHADS.

The icing on the cake are the costumes and setting locations etc. They really look like a MAHAJANAPAD of that ancient period.

Only One complaint: The series should have been longer. Then we would have had more to enjoy and learn.

In the times long ago

[hipriti · 9/10 · 5 January 2004]

Dr Dwidevi made his first acting/direction TV venture with "Chanakya". It came out in times when several other historical and mythological series were popular. It is interesting how "Chanakya" captured the attention and minds of people in between such glamorous shows.

"Chanakya" is a result of a lot of detailed work on life of people during the rule of the Mauryan Dynasty. The sets, costumes, language & pronunciations and cinematography separate it from other costume dramas. The characters are not cardboard cut-outs. They are well-rounded and have depth. Chanakya is one of the shrewdest characters in history. He has been played so well that he virtually comes out of the screen.

On the whole, "Chanakya" reminds us that 'kutil' and shrewd minister of the Mauryas is not merely history. He created history.

Every Indian should watch this !!

[tp-marshallmathers · 10/10 · 30 March 2020]

A very well made and a must watch show for all. This is our history, it's sad that Genius like Chanakya is not known is today's world, every school should teach about him.

The serial shows the efforts of Vishnu Gupt Chanakya, a great scholar, economist, and politician.

[m00a00d · 10/10 · 18 April 2009]

The serial has been made very well, and the acting of the main character, Chanakya, played by Chandra Prakash Dwivedi is stunning. The language and its articulation give a very good impression of the theme.

On the translation of Greek, which was done using English, I would expect betterment of accent, but this was a very small part of the serial.

All together, the work is wonderful, and there is no doubt that it was recognized by academy and people. Chandra Prakash Dwivedi's articulation, expression, and body language are worth praising.

The historical aspect of the serial is the most important. The theme of the work seems to be fiction, but it is not. It is a reality Bharat (India) witnessed long time ago. There are many lessons that can be learned from the serial, e.g. the concept of nation that is united by values and history and the existence of various states within the nation, tension between states, personal benefit and national benefit, nationalism, etc.

Watching the serial will provoke many philosophical thoughts in the mind of the viewer.

Excellent

[soppanagendranaidu · 10/10 · 14 April 2018]

Masterpiece from Chandra Prakash Dwivedi. Don't miss to watch this DVD. Once in a lifetime opportunity for people all over the world. Chanakya life is great inspiration for all the people who wants to achieve great success in life.

Best Series to understand Ancient India Tradition

[gohilar · 10/10 · 17 October 2019]

When See Series, feels like i am go back in history though time travel machine. every detail are well crafted, not spoil work design work what doing in current serial show off beyong. even i am watching in 2018 still think that this is best series of chanakya. this shows hard work of Chandraprakash dwivedi, i am fan of character he play as chanakya. thanks for making a wonderful series

A far sighted nationalist...very much required in today's India

[rohinigupta11 · 10/10 · 29 April 2010]

I finally laid my hands on this eight part series after some continuous effort to find it.I am a big fan of Chanakya and Chanakyaniti. Though centuries old but it is still capable of helping us through situations we may find ourselves in. So I started watching Mr.Dwivedi's Chanakya with high expectations and hopes...let me say it on record...i was not disappointed..I am not a history expert so can not comment on authenticity of the surroundings but the content is what I paid attention to. It is so well written and executed that I was hooked from scene 1.Other than some long dances there is nothing that I had to forward. I am surprised why a man of his calibre and intelligence not given his due in India's history. It might somewhere deter people from playing the politics of divisiveness that is going on today in BOMBAY ( and not Mumbai...)

An Extra ordinary work that went largely unnoticed

[lilacshore84 · 18 April 2008]

I saw this serial when i was a little girl.Earlier this year a private channel in Kerala showed Chanakya's Malayalam translation. we watched it regularly. it made me wonder about the man Chanakya, his intellectual prowess, patriotism. but what amazed me was the brain behind this brilliant work. the amount of research that has gone into it, concentration on minute details, the superb dialogue - one cannot help wondering why this serial didn't become as popular as other serials like Mahabharat. But i also feel that there r some minor hitches that could have been avoided. some lengthy conversations and scenes could have been shortened, court dances were not up to the mark. also i cannot find the names of actors who immortalized various roles, though one or two of them can now be seen in some serials in star plus and Zee T.V. i think every politician, or rather every Indian should watch this serial to know what real patriotism is. Teachers, especially in Kerala who divide themselves into political groups and go on strike should understand that there was a great teacher in ancient India who took upon as his duty to unify India. i hope Mr.Dwivedi comes up with equally great ventures in future.

My two-bit on 'Chanakya'

[J_Anu · 7/10 · 6 December 2009]

I watched this serial recently on a friend's recommendation. Am thankful that I did so- the serial gives a proper perspective to a lay person on Chanakya and why he is so important to Indian history. Very little importance or coverage is given (as far as I remember) in CBSE history books to Chanakya, who seems to be the first true nationalist thinker & nation-builder in India, probably anywhere in the world. His characterisation of a nation as defined by its common cultural heritage more than by political boundaries is something unique, a first, and path-breaking, I would say with my limited knowledge. The serial appears to be well-researched, with proper (though not intimidating) Hindi being used by all characters without sounding artificial or pompous- probably the result of a lot of practice. Definitely a must-watch for anybody who wants to know anything about ancient Indian history- the period which is usually forgotten or glossed over by our secular modern historians in their effort to highlight the medieval Muslim period as the only Indian history.

The serial has some good acting by characters that played Dhananand, Sinharan, Susidharthak, Amatya Katyayana, Ambhi Kumar. Some weak points of the serial that I noticed: 1) Poor editing- the successive scenes sometimes (rather, many times) seem disjointed. 2) Sometimes over-the-top dialogue delivery by characters, including Dr CP Dwivedi. Too loud and emotional at times, serves to reduce the genuineness of the emotion that is sought to be highlighted. 3) Poor, cheap-looking sets- probably a reflection of the non-movie background of producer/director, and the less technological sophistication of two decades ago. 4) Can't get to know who played which character, except, of course Dr CP Dwivedi and Malavika Tiwari (who is known from other serials/movies). PS: Am wondering why most of the comments till now have been from Indians or PIO's residing outside India!

It is the best

[lpitours · 10/10 · 15 May 2007]

Chanakya, was first telecast 12-13 years ago in India, it has been rerun so many times, but is difficult to buy the set of DVD's. It is in fact a treasure to be kept for the future generations. Dr Dwivedi, did the marvelous job of Writer, Director, Producer and Actor(he essayed the role of Chanakya). As a matter of fact, Pinjar was a letdown from Chanakya. But he is the best and I wish him to know that we as a nation are proud of him.

The pronunciation, the filming, the whole setup is so real that we can feel the loss of Takshshila princess when she is leaving her nation due to the advent of Greeks, we can feel the smell of her motherland and the pain she is feeling as she is leaving her country which has been taken over by Alexander. IT is all so true to feel. Thankyou Dr Dwivedi for making us feel proud of ourselves once again.

a good work of historical fiction

[brahmatmaj · 10/10 · 24 August 2004]

chankya is the first Indian TV mini series,which authentically depicted the miliue of mauryan empire.dr chandra prakash dwivedi is most accomplish director.recently he directed pinjar.pinjar is a feature film.it deals with the dilemma of partition.manoj bajpai is the lead actor of this film.dr dwivedi and manoj both got the national award for this film.dr dwivedi is now working on another period film.this time his hero is kunal.kunal was the son of great emperor ashoka.he will start the shooting of this film as soon as he will finalise the cast and crew.one thing is certain that he will not compromise in any manner.it will be a laish and really period film from India.

Must watch 🙏🙏

[psamanta-77966 · 10/10 · 24 May 2020]

Every Bharatiya should watch this. Huge round of applaud to the director and producers. We need this kind of movies, serials and series.

Masterpiece!!

[akshaysvora · 10/10 · 14 May 2020]

Well researched series on Chanakya.Hats off to Director and Actor Dr Chandraprakash Dwivedi.If you are interested in Indian History and Chanakya,you should not miss this one! Late Irrfan Khan is in one major role in this series.

Forever relevant and must see for all Indians - Jai Maa Bharathi

[vijay-65844 · 10/10 · 26 December 2019]

This show is so relevant even in this day and age. There are so many relevant topics and issues that can be adopted and translated to Bharath's current political and cultural situation. Do not miss. The camera work, set, direction, music, dialogues and the acting is unbelievable. Amazing work of art.

CHANAKYANITI--GREAT THINKER,ECONOMIST, ASTROLGER, ADMINISTRATOR, KING MAKER, RUDE TALKING(but he speaks less and only when necessary), GREAT TEACHER, ADMINISTRATOR

[tshashikanth · 10/10 · 20 September 2022]

This series is excellent. It begins with his childhood (300BC) and takes through journey of his life. Who was a son of Acharya Chanak, and began his Gurukul learning in Takshashila and because of his father was prisoned by Dhanand king for being generous and kind, but due to some inconvenience in Gurukul and society related issues, unnecessarily Chanak was made prisoner and tortured. So that time Vishnugupt (later became Acharya Chanakya) predicted that they will torture and kill him. So he told his mother that Chanak will be killed and society will treat us badly, and decided to leave Pataliputra and to pursue further and dedicated his entire life in updating the resources and necessary things. He was given a the paperwork by his father, which was collected and stored by their ancestors. His best friend was Akshay during his childhood and studied together, but later Akshay will be surprised after Vishnugupt's return from Patliputra to Magadh after accomplishment of his studies and research. He leaves his mother alone and go.to higher studies.

He acquired alot of knowledge and some midday he sees Chadragupta's acting as a king during his childhood where he states very important thing during act, which made think Vishnugupt that Chandragupt can be trained and make him king. So he requested and convinced Chandragupt mother to send him with Vishnuhupt so that he can teach him and make him king. As Vishnugupth was future thinker/visioner he trained Chandragupt in a way, as he tribe member or untouchables in those days Vishnugupth transformed into Brahmanism. He guided Chandragupt to build india's largest empire (AKHAND BHARATH), and made his vision successful and democratic society.

Also Vishnugupt made Alexander empire fall and stopped them by invading india 🇮🇳. He had good friends, studied with him in Gurukul and were members in committee of dynasty, who supported him in background and shared inside secrets to Vishnugupth.

He achieved alot of things wrote book "ARTHASHASTRA" which is still being used to teach, his vision towards society is immerse. His decision making skills excited and surprised by his friends and committee members.

Overall it's a ultimate series, should watch it. Many things can be learned and implemented in today's society as well as personal life.

Many things can be observed and excellent scenarios are displayed in detail 👌🏾, so just loved it.

And I still watch it on regular basis it makes me think and get new ideas about how should society be and also control personal work and emotions.

The seeds of Indian nationalism can be found in here

[vaibhavbhardwajadamya · 10/10 · 10 April 2020]

Virtues, Patrotism, Respect for the motherland Preserving our cultural heritage.

Chandraprakash Dwivedi has thoroughly researched before making this epic show. Nothing can match the brilliance of his acting and direction.

I can watch it many times. Its not just a show but a treatise.

Excellent work!

[vishalsaxena209 · 10/10 · 24 July 2007]

The most well-made TV serial I've ever seen. An excellent job by Shri Chandraprakash Dwivedi. He deserves a high literary award by Govt of India for this work alone. The Serial DVDs are highly recommended for purchase as a small tribute to the passionate maker of the serial. The cast is well selected and the major actors have done their job well. As someone pointed out, that if the dances were more glamorous, it would have appreciated the beauty of the serial further. I would have personally liked to see an extension of the serial depicting full reign of Chandragupta Maurya, but understand that its hard to make that due to lack of historical data. Great job Dr Dwivedi!

Great Serial

[aninda1978 · 8/10 · 15 May 2008]

This was the first serial of its kind that showed the true or the fact about ancient India general environment.Dr.Diwedi took pain to bring out the real prevailing world of that time, and showed that if politics is used in good condition then how it can change the countries faith. It was just for vision of "Chanakya" because of which Magadha became the most powerful kingdom of that time. If same type of visionary appear in this era then again India has capacity to become the worlds most powerful country.

The serial is an asset of India that must be preserved for ever and must be seen once in month so that one should able to keep alive "Patriotism" for his country.

My inspiration shri chanakya.

[devanshubhatt · 10/10 · 29 August 2020]

Absolutely amazing. I would recommend the young generation to watch this.

Absolutely Brilliant

[poet_ry · 10/10 · 5 October 2013]

This my first review in IMDb even though it is not actually review. After watching it couldn't able resist writing few words about. "Chanakya" serial is absolutely brilliant. Although the work is based on Vishakhadatta's play "Mudrarakshasa" and couple of books, execution by Dwivedi is admirable. A bow to Chandra Prakash Dwivedi for his efforts creating this Epic and for his passion. Acting and Production values are first rate. It is very relevant to current times. You will love the purity of Hindi and even amazed, which very rare/missing now a days. Those who watch daily soups/ western TV series should try watching "Chanakya". A must watch for every one. It is available (with English subtitles) in Youtube and amazon. A master piece. Perfect 10/10.

A true Masterpiece of Indian TV shows

[pranshulrajvaidya · 10/10 · 11 March 2022]

This show is based on life of Chanakya from his birth to the victory of Magadh by him and Chandragupta Maurya.

This series is motivational, you'll definitely become a nationalist after watching this.

Director, writer of the show is Dr. Chadra Prakash Dwivedi and he is the same guy who played the role of Chanakya...